A Sandwich a Day: Soft Shell Crabwich at bopNgrill

bopNgrill has been received much acclaim for both its wide variety of tasty burgers and Korean fare. Serious Eats, for example, reviewed its original Evanston location (since moved to Rogers Park) back in 2011, while everybody's favorite food personality, restauranteur and frozen pizza purveyor Guy Fieri made a stop for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives—a fact proudly displayed all over the restaurant. While patrons know that the only thing the cooks love more than red meat is putting more red meat on top of it, there are a few non-burger sandwich options on the menu, including a play on the New England staple, the soft shell crabwich ($8.00).

Unfortunately, what should be the main attraction of the dish is its biggest problem. The shell on the crab was still fairly tough and chewy, leaning closer to the tails of shrimp than the delightful crunchiness of soft shell crab. It was also a little fishy-tasting with a batter that was barely there. The soft bun, usually perfect for bopNgrill's extremely flavorful burgers, is rendered boring due to lack of supporting cast. The cabbage and scallion add very little in terms of flavor or texture, though the bacon and spicy mayo (staples in the rest of the menu) add a little smokiness and spice.

All in all, bopNgrill is a great place, but if you go there stick to what they're known for.